The rays representing each individual form a magnificent “together”, underlining the philosophy of limitless “co”existence…

The Milan Design week, held until 22^nd of April, holds also a remarkable event from Lexus, in the framework of their annual Lexus Design Award in Milan. The venue is at CAVALLERIZZE, the Museo Nazionale della Scienza e dellaTecnologia Leonardo da Vinci Via Olona, 6, 20123 Milano MI, Italy.

The exhibits are “CO-” created by featured designers, actually the 12 finalist designs of the Lexus Design Award 2018 (4 prototypes and 8 panel displays). The visitor is taken on a unique experience trip through the building to evoke “Co”togetherness and community…

Just read further…

Hans Knol ten Bensel

A magnificent display of the Lexus LF-1 in “limitless” visibility from all sides conveys a unique visual experience of harmony and wholeness…and “CO”-mmunity of all its parts… 

Can you imagine a world where individuals can understand, respect and care about each other without exceptions? Lexus can.

They believe in harnessing the power of design and innovation to shine the light on everyone, so that not a single person is left in the shadow and remove the barriers to exploring our true potential.

Lexus is convinced design is a catalyst for change, for empowerment and for inclusiveness. It is a powerful force that can transform the ordinary into the extraordinary, and reveal to humanity that with “CO-” the possibilities are limitless.

We show you also here the journey of the exhibition, (just enlarge the photo if you like)

In a long corridor, one lets you clear your mind:

Preparing your senses with Bergamot, captured in a single lollipop, the signature aroma of the event, heightening your senses.

The next focus is on a different, limitless view on the Lexus LF-1.

For this exhibit, Lexus has called upon Japanese architect Sota Ichikawa to be the overall concept space designer. In the main installation, Ichikawa has used innovative methods to represent the ultimate experience of LIMITLESS CO-EXISTENCE. The Lexus LF-1 Limitless concept, earlier introduced at the North American International Auto Show, is also featured using Ichikawa’s unique method.

And then you are brought to the world of the several designers and panel finalists, expressing “CO-” as a world of ultimae coexistence.

One of the prototype winners is DIGITALAB, formed by Brimet ernandes da Silva (Portugal) and Ana Trindade Fonseca (Portugal), presenting CO-RKs, a generative system connecting cork thread, a sustainable material and computational process that generate design products.

Another was the honest egg concept Malaysia-based industrial designers, Paul Yong Rit Fui and Jaihar Jailani Bin Ismail cofounded aesthetid, a design consultancy based in Johor Bahru, specializing in Product Design, Graphics and Design Language services. They believe in making technology, business and design a natural symbiotic experience, uncovering user needs, behavior and desires…

One of the remarkable panel finalists is Jon Simmons (USA), with his Gravity Pen: a tool connecting virtual reality to physical experience, by simulating weight and touch.

Another is Hiroki Furukawa (Japan), with Paper Skin, connecting overlapping layers of paper to create a new material rich in color.

This year, to focus more global attention on the impressive breadth and depth of the finalists’ budding talent, Lexus has launched the “Lexus Design Award 2018 People‘s Choice”. The winner is determined by votes cast on the website from 16th to 21st April and announced on 22nd April, the event’s climax and final day. You are also welcome to join the voting! Choose your favorite design on the Lexus Design Award website and post to your social media account. For Instagram post unique hashtags for your favorite design.

More information: www.lexusdesignaward.com

TheLexus Design Award Grand Prix winner 

The Grand Prix winner of the Lexus Design Award 2018 was Testing Hypotheticals. This is a collaboratively imagined test site that explores speculative relationships between society, technology and the environment, worked out by Extrapolation Factory.

This is a design-based research studio for participatory futures studies, founded by Elliott P. Montgomery and Chris Woebken. The studio develops experimental methods for collaboratively prototyping, experiencing and impacting future scenarios.

Here you see Elliott P. Montgomery receiving the price from Yoshihiro Sawa (President, Lexus International).

“This year’s winner permeates the current thinking about the role of design in our evolving and technologically shifting societies.

Products played less of a role, and design education/teaching and thinking are at the forefront. How citizens and designers interact with products, processes and future is increasingly critical to mediating this influence of design in our increasingly future-orientated and technologically evolving world. The chosen design shows methods and techniques for engaging the public and designers in role playing possible futures and negotiating the influences of our technological world.” said David Adjaye, Lexus Design Award 2018 judge and architect.

Hans Knol ten Bensel